Fast fashion is defined as fashion retailers who rely on quick production of clothes at an inexpensive price with many clothing pieces being low quality. These items are quickly produced and shipped out to stores in order to meet the fast trend cycle. Before fast fashion, the industry followed a four-season calendar consisting of fall, winter, spring and summer; they now they operate with 52 micro-seasons. The increase in seasons leads to a greater number of trends coming and going out of style in a short period of time. The term Fast Fashion was coined by a journalist in 1990 when describing the store Zara. The clothing company said they only needed 15 days to go from designing an item to it being in stores. Whereas traditional fashion retailer items may be designed months in advance. UNIQLO, Forever 21, and H&M are some of the largest fast fashion stores.
Why it works:
Looking trendy and buying clothes is nothing new. People have always wanted to buy the latest styles and fit in with the trends. However, due to fast fashion trend cycles being very short lived, an item may be trendy one month and go out of style the next. An example of this would the many micro-trends found on TikTok.
A House of Sunny green dress rose to popularity on the app. Then, a month later the dress was considered outdated. The popularity of this dress has led to many fast fashion retailers creating their own version of the product.
The downsides:
Individuals are attracted to low priced goods, while also obsessed with keeping up with all the latest trends. Fast fashion allows consumers to keep up with trends by providing a cheaper version of a high-end product. However, fast fashion promotes an unhealthy addiction to shopping. Due to the low prices, consumers buy a higher volume of items. Fast fashion stores make very limited stock of their clothing items and when an item is sold out it is rarely produced again. This causes people to buy clothes in order to not miss out on any new clothing pieces. For individual consumers it is much easier to buy cheap clothing with a short life span instead of more expensive clothing that will last much longer. Many consumers think by shopping at fast fashion stores they will spend less on clothes, but this is not true. Consumers now are spending 1.5 times more on clothes than their 2011 counterparts.
Fast fashion has a huge effect on the planet. Globally, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is produced every year, and that number is expected to increase to 134 million tons per year by 2030. The fashion industry produces 10% of the global carbon emissions and around 20% of global wastewater. Many brands use toxic chemicals, dangerous dyes, and synthetic fabrics that seep into water supplies. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of clean water globally with agriculture being the top polluter. Polyester is a common fabric used in fast fashion, which is derived from fossil fuels and sheds microfibers that lead to plastic in water supplies. In the United States, 11 million tons of clothing is thrown out every year. Fast fashion also relies on inexpensive labor in foreign countries with many of the workers being paid well below minimum wage while working long hours.
Making a difference:
Being a mindful consumer is important in order to curb the effects of fast fashion. Buy clothes that you personally need instead of clothes that are trendy. Finding your sense of style helps you buy items that fit with your current wardrobe. Whenever you are going to buy new clothes, ask yourself, “Am I going to wear this, and does this match the clothes I already own?” Secondhand shopping is a great way to find new clothes without supporting fast fashion. Styling your clothes differently or altering/upcycling them is an inexpensive way to change your look. An old pair of jeans could become your new favorite pair of shorts.
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